BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Gateway International Bridge intercepted a woman for alleged violations of immigration law. The Unites States citizen allegedly attempted to facilitate the entry of an 11-year-old child into the United States without valid entry documents.
"This alleged smuggling attempt of a young boy from El Salvador into the country was stopped by our CBP officers working on enforcing immigration laws at our country's borders. This child is now safe thanks to the work by our CBP officers," said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.
On Tuesday, September 17, at the Gateway International Bridge a 24-year-old female United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas and a minor child applied for admission to enter the United States. The driver presented U.S. birth certificates for the minor child and herself as their entry documents. A CBP officer's primary inspection resulted in the vehicle's occupants being referred to CBP secondary for further inspection and review of entry documents presented. In passport control secondary, CBP officers reviewed the birth certificate presented by the adult for the minor. CBP officers further determined the minor child was an 11-year-old citizen of El Salvador with no legal documents to enter or reside in the United States.
CBP officers took the adult into custody for alleged violations of immigration law. The 11-year-old child was processed as unaccompanied alien child and will be placed in the care of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR).